News Releases 2012

LETU Awarded $25,000 Research Grant from Rockwell Collins

LeTourneau University has received a $25,000 grant from the Rockwell Collins Charitable Corporation University Grant Allocation Program for the LeTourneau HF Antenna Coupler Project (HFAC).

The project will enable students, under the direction of engineering professor Dr. Joonwan Kim, to continue development of a high frequency (HF) antenna coupler the students designed and prototyped in 2011-2012. The design goal for this project is to prototype a high-end, commercial, HF antenna coupler that is cost effective and more efficient than models currently available on the market.

Rockwell Collins reported that it received 16 strong proposals for consideration as part of its University Grant Allocations Program and that LETU was one of only seven universities that received a grant. Some award amounts were adjusted to allow the maximum number of proposals to be funded, however LETU received the full $25,000 amount it sought in its proposal. Rockwell Collins reported that the proposals that thoroughly addressed the criteria and offered the greatest alignment to Rockwell Collins were selected for funding.

“We are very pleased that Rockwell Collins has funded this project proposal,” said Kim. “We look forward to providing them with feedback on the progress and success of this project This collaboration will further the educational excellence of our students and could better prepare them to pursue rewarding engineering careers at Rockwell Collins.”

LETU’s School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, with a total of 481 students, represents a substantial pool of potential talent for companies like Rockwell Collins to consider for employment, Kim said. “Many LETU graduates have already proven effective in key roles at RCI,” Kim said. “LETU records reveal that at least 50 graduates have gained full-time employment since and including 2006, thanks in large part to the exposure our students have derived through the relationships built through Rockwell Collins’ assistance with LETU senior design teams.”

Currently, RCI employs 73 LeTourneau alumni, Kim said.

“Their University Relations organization has indicated they continue to be pleased with their cost-per-hire of LETU graduates,” Kim said. “This HFAC project, closely associated with RCI’s product technology, ensures a continuation of the mutually beneficial relationship between RCI and exceptional LETU students, while providing both the challenge and the excitement that these students desire.”

LeTourneau University is an interdenominational Christ-centered university located in Longview, Texas, offering academic majors in aviation, business, communication, criminal justice, education, engineering, health science-nursing, human services, kinesiology, the liberal arts, the sciences and psychology. LETU also offers graduate degrees in business administration, counseling, education, engineering, psychology and strategic leadership. In addition to its residential campus in Longview, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs online and at educational centers in Athens, Austin, Baytown, Bedford, Dallas, Harlingen, Houston, and Tyler.